Here's a list of my tips of the month that appear on the home page once in a while. These are records I really enjoyed at the time.

January 2013:
The Rainyard
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A Thousand DaysI just found out that one of my favourite Australian bands finally made their old songs available online. I loved their single and the demo since the early 90s. Grab this from therainyard.bandcamp.com

Clarendon Records is proud to announce the release of 'Long Ball Into Nowhere' the first and only album by 'Hey Paulette'. Here at TweeNet we've been fans of the band since back in 1989 and featured them on two of our compilations. This release has all the songs from their singles, the Peel session and some unreleased tracks. Visit the bands MySpace page to listen to their music.

Two years after their last studio album "Why That Doesn't Surprise Me" won the hearts of pop lovers
and critics around the world, The Lucksmiths return with "Naturaliste". The highly anticipated new
record confirms the reputation of this Melbourne band, offering eleven examples of instantly memorable
indie pop music to win you all over again.

All The Lucksmiths' hallmarks are here - an ear for melody, an eye for detail and a way with words.
And again all three members contribute songs. But stepping away from the increasing orchestration of
their recent work, the guitar-based "Naturaliste" demonstrates a sensibility of understatement and
restraint that allows these songs to shine. This is at once The Lucksmiths' most assured and cohesive
work so far, from the effortless guitar jangle of "Take This Lying Down" and opener "Camera-Shy" to
the gentle yearnings of "The Perfect Crime" and "What You'll Miss"; from the late-night melancholy of
"Stayaway Stars" and "What Passes For Silence" to the sunny melody of "Midweek Midmorning", their
single of late last year praised as "a fragile gem", "the kind of pop moment that will remind you why
you fell in love with music in the first place".

"Naturaliste" continues The Lucksmiths' collaboration with producer Craig Pilkington, who contributed
brass arrangements and shared lead guitar duties with bass player Mark Monnone. As you'd expect with
such popular fellows, other friends dropped into Richmond's Audrey Studios: Eva Sommerfeld (The Foots)
lends her voice to the mesmeric "The Sandringham Line", and transpacific tourmates The Salteens lend
theirs to "Stayaway Stars".

The Lucksmiths' fifth studio album in a decade is also their finest hour. "Naturaliste" represents
reassurance that pop music can be affecting rather than affected, and further evidence, were it
needed, of why "if there is to be a way back to world domination for melodic intelligent pop . The
Lucksmiths are likely to be in the vanguard."

December 2002:
Razorcuts
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R is for RazorcutsR is for Razorcuts on Matinee - Compilation of the best songs by this great bandAt last, the long awaited definitive collection from the pivotal UK indiepop legends. Ask any indiepop aficionado about the genre-defining acts from the British 80's music scene and a name you'll soon hear a lot is Razorcuts. Raised on punk rock and groomed at Alan McGee's Living Room club, Razorcuts emerged with the likes of Primal Scream and the Shop Assistants, combining a sunblasted 60's beat jangle with the DIY ethics of punk. A glorious riot of singles followed before Razorcuts signed to McGee's Creation Records and switched into long-playing mode; then retired, integrity intact, at the turn of the 90's. The UK scene Razorcuts represented led onto the staunchly anti-rock scene epitomized by Sarah Records, and helped set the parameters for much of the global indiepop scene we know today in the US, Japan, Sweden, Australia, and elsewhere. This definitive collection includes 21 tracks selected by the band (most previously available only at inflated import/collector prices in the US, plus previously unreleased material) with the signature Razorcuts chiming 12 string guitar, harmonies, Hammond organ and tambourines. This lovingly prepared package includes a 12-page booklet with extensive archive photos, plus sleevenotes from the band and two early Razorcuts champions–St Etienne's Bob Stanley and legendary British music writer Everett True.

March 2002:
Acid House Kings
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Mondays Are Like Tuesdays And Tuesdays Are Like WednesdaysNew Acid House Kings album - Mondays Are Like Tuesdays And Tuesdays Are Like WednesdaysOne of Sweden's classic pop band finish their 10 years plan {one album every fifth year} with this piece of art. This is the last part of their trilogy which started with 'pop, look & listen' in 1992 and continued with 'advantage acid house kings' in 1997. The twelve songs on "mondays are like tuesdays and tuesdays are like Wednesdays" keep the immediate catchiness we expect from Acid House Kings, but add some lasting qualities. It's an easy, breezy, beautiful album. People might compare them to Cardigans, Belle & Sebastian, or whatever guitar based pop groups you can come up with ....but hey! These guys started with this sound as teenagers and the influence can only be the other way around. "mondays are like tuesdays and tuesdays are like Wednesdays" is by far the strongest part of the band's trilogy. Acid House Kings have once and for all secured their place in Swedish music history.

November 2001:
Birdie
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Triple EchoBirdie's second LP Triple Echo05.10.2001 Birdie - Triple Echo CD / LP (apricd026 / aprivin026 - EFA 27381-2/-1)
'mummy, daddy - it's luscious' is one of sadie's favourite
phrases at the moment. sadie is a cute little girl grow-
ing up on the playgrounds and parks of northern london.
besides spending time with her friends outside sadie
likes listening to her parents playing music. sadie's parents are indie-P!O!P! legends paul kelly and debsey wykes
who formed the band birdie a few years ago.
the new album triple echo has the same magic as a love poem: it will put a shy smile on your face and you will start humming along to the songs. songs of warmth and tenderness; music that gives you the same feeling as a whole day spend lying in bed. 'its's luscious' sadie would say if you'd ask her to describe triple
echo.

September 2001:
Fine!
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Now That We're AloneFine -This debut album from a new band from Barcelona is currently one of our favourite records at TweeNet HQ. In contrast to many or their Spanish colleagues they sing mostly in English and remind me more of Cloudberry Jam or The Sundays than Talulah Gosh.

August 2001:
Aerospace
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A Minute History Of Air And SpaceAerospace - A Minute History of Air and SpaceMix American sixties, British eighties and Swedish ninetees pop music and you get the perfect pop songs for the summer of 2001. Aerospace won my heart with a spectecular gig last summer in Seattle and they also blew away most of the other bands at this year's San Francisco pop fest. After a bunch of songs on compilations we finally get a proper record from them. This EP has hardly left my turntable for weeks, a strong contender for the best 7" record of the last ten years. Every of the four songs is a hit - pure joy. If you can't find this EP, download the songs from the band's web site. (Pete)

July 2001:
The Siddeleys
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Slum ClearanceThe Siddeleys - Slum ClearanceThe Siddeleys' star shone briefly and brightly for two years at the end of the 1980s. Their songs were epic, but never pompous, instant, but never obvious – the essential essence of all great pop music. Singer Johnny Johnson was frequently labelled a female Morrissey – a journalistic absurdity favoured by certain writers at the time, but ten years on the songs speak for themselves and comparisons with anyone are hard to make.

At the beginning of 1988 the NME predicted that The Siddeleys would join the big league and become one of the major events of the future. Sadly, despite the fierce adoration of a legion of fans and affirmations from the press, the story was over at the end of the first chapter. All that remained for Siddeleys fans was the hope of finding a spare copy of one of their two insanely rare singles–sometimes fetching upwards of £50 each–and the memory of two John Peel sessions.

Slum Clearance collects sixteen songs from the singles, Peel sessions, and two compilation appearances in one beautiful historical artefact complete with photos and extensive liner notes. The sadness of listening to Slum Clearance comes not from the poignant verses that are actually as uplifting as they are melancholic, but from the knowledge that what could have followed such supreme beginnings will never be known.